Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder, are granted as secondary to her service-connected musculoskeletal and neural disabilities.,Service connection for PTSD is denied because the Veteran does not meet the DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder with anxious distress, is being reviewed for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to deficiencies in previous examination reports and failure to evaluate certain disorders.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for a higher rating of her service-connected major depressive disorder before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to an error in satisfying a statutory and regulatory duty, specifically regarding the CUE motion for service connection of depression.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder and intermittent explosive disorder is rated at 70 percent from September 20, 2013, to present.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective February 15, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The decision is based on credible reports of in-service stressors and a private medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.,Specifically, a new VA examination is required for his lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and rated at 10%. The rating for his MDD remains at 70%, but a TDIU is granted. OSA service connection is remanded.

Service connection is granted for bilateral dry eye syndrome, tinnitus, and migraine headaches. Service connection is denied for acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, right knee disability, left knee disability loss, left hip disability, right foot disability loss, lumbar spine disability, and skin rash.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment prior to April 18, 2023. The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for this period.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to readjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression. The case is being remanded to consider the merits of his claims for lower back disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of February 9, 2020, for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for PTSD with MDD is granted. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with MDD from February 9, 2020, is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorder, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to a personal assault during active service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, muscle injury, left and right knee conditions are all granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service work as a mortuary affairs specialist. His muscle injury is related to the run during an Army Physical Fitness Test. However, his left and right knee conditions do not have sufficient evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and anxious distress is dismissed.,A rating of 70 percent for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and anxious distress, effective February 2, 2022, is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder with anxious distress and Alcohol Use Disorder, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service stressors.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected neck and left knee disabilities, finding that his depression is more likely related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his depressive disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the January 2020 VA examination report. The examiner did not provide sufficient clarity on the impact of the Veteran's depressive disorder on his occupational and social functioning.